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Telltale: The Human Stories Behind The Games

/noclip

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Who were the people behind the games at Telltale, and how did its sudden closure affect them? We talk to four former Telltale Games employees about the highs and lows of their time at the studio, and the human cost of games development.

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Filmed by Jeremy Jayne & Esteban Martinez
Edited & Hosted by Danny O'Dwyer

Music Used:
Beautiful Imperfections
https://www.audionetwork.com/browse/m...
Stray
https://www.audionetwork.com/browse/m...
Missing Persons
https://www.audionetwork.com/browse/m...
By Moonlight
https://www.audionetwork.com/browse/m...

20 Comments

@AnalogPill 7 years ago (edited)

As another Ex-TellTale dev, thanks for this. This provided so many of us with some serious emotional closure, thank you. :)

@dillflynn 7 years ago

The games industry seems like a complete nightmare. Crunch like a 1900s factory worker, widespread under-compensation, and the constant looming threat of layoffs and closures.

@rubiksfaq9214 7 years ago

The unspoken hero of this story: Tire wheeling guy

@thecorrectopinionhehe 7 years ago

Rest in Peace Wolf Among us Season 2 :(

@dead_channel_zero 7 years ago

I don't know why but that old man rolling those two tires really cracked me up.

@neurosin 7 years ago

Thank you for this. Means a lot to all of us from TTG.

@Nostromo2kcl 7 years ago

What happens with Paul Mastroianni is terrible ... doing something apart from your main job to show that you can and after that the opportunity disappears and above all that you know it before everyone ... it was something that broke my heart. .. I hope he is fine ... I hope everyone is ok in some way or another

@BHXProduction 7 years ago

Seeing them being proud of Batman was awesome. They did such a good job on that!

@e2rqey 7 years ago

Thank you for making this documentary. In 5 years people aren't going to remember the rushed posts made 30 minutes after the news broke, they will remember content like this. That carries with it a certain responsibly and I think your team at NoClip were the perfect people to properly document and contextualize what happened at TellTale Games.

@TheRealRaygor 7 years ago

Unfortunately, this happens a lot. In 22 years in the game industry, I've been through 2 studio closures and 3 layoffs.

@stefanlish 7 years ago

"That would take us to Stranger Things, that would take us to Wolf [Among Us]"
Goddamit, I didn't know they were so close to make TWAS 2. Would have bought even Stranger Things even.

@grov508 3 years ago

Kent Mudle is a hero for saving The Final Season

@0mikeisonfire0 7 years ago

The unfortunate reality with the stories of all these closures and layoffs is the fact that these upper management folks aren't at all suffering for their failures. They won't have problems paying their bills or finding work going forward - and hopefully not tearing down any more people's livelihoods and careers. The lack of corporate accountability, not just in the gaming industry but everywhere else, is disturbing.

@RawLmax 7 years ago

Easily some of the best content on this website. Keep it up

@infinitysynthesis 7 years ago

Thank you for this doc Noclip. These people and all the people who worked at Telltale are the real game dev hero's. I have massive respect for them. It was so sad to see what happened to them. I still love their games even though i play them with a heavy heart. Keelah se'lai : )

@CinematographyDatabase 7 years ago

Wow Netflix level docs on YouTube

@_zurr 7 years ago

I respect you guys for making the documentary and I respect the interviewees a lot more for actually talking about this, since I can imagine not wanting to talk about the problems the faced from their employers/management, for fear of being alienated from future jobs. Thanks so much for your time, and know that you've made some of my (and countless others') favourite stuff. I wish you well.

@hosseintm165 6 years ago

Playing the whole TWD in 2020, I would say your games aged very well.
Now want a doc about telltale opening again

@iamnatman 7 years ago

I still think Netflix should get this team back together and start their own gaming studio. They have the platform, the funding, and a ton of their own IP.